Let them eat cake

I'm hijacking my blog for a personal post.  I am having a rough weekend, Saturday night was spent being ill due to an allergic reaction to something unknown, to then waking up today with a mystery rash on my neck *sigh*.  In order to cheer myself up I have channelled my inner domestic goddess, treated myself to a new mixing bowl and whipped up some Sugarpuffish friendly cakes.

Since I am allergic to milk and eggs the best recipes for me to use are Vegan ones. Eggs are the hardest part of a cake recipe to replace often it is substituted with apple sauce, ripe banana or oil (the latter produces horrid results).

The one recipe I cook time and time again comes from egglesscooking.com and is for Vegan Chocolate, Oatmeal and Peanut Butter Muffins. 

I haven't got a muffin tin so I make them fairy cake size.  I swear in a previous life I was an American because I have been addicted to Peanut Butter since childhood.  The only changes I make to the recipe are adding in extra peanut butter and I am not a fan of rice milk so use my regular soya milk.  For an added indulgence I mix icing sugar, peanut butter and small amount of warm water to make a topping.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend and if you are in the UK I hope you are enjoying the gorgeous warm weather.  Now I am off to find a cloth to wipe these sticky peanut butter paw prints off my keyboard.

Girl Talk

It is a delicate topic to discuss but I find feminine wipes handy to have in my handbag for travelling and during *whispers* that time of the month.

I have tried a few brands but I confess never ones that were 100% chemical free.  It is laziness on my part because chemical free brands are not readily available from the supermarket/chemist and it can be a hassle to always be shopping online.

I recently purchased Faith In Nature's Feminine Wipes and I paid £2.55 for a pack of 15 wipes.  These wipes contain no synthetic chemicals, are fully biodegradable and they carry the Vegan & BUAV logos.

The wipes are a good size and very soft compared to others I have tried.  I

found the wipes did not dispense from the packet easily which was annoying.  They were extremely moist when I first opened the packet but 7 days later were starting to dry out.  

The choice of chemical free feminine wipes appears to be limited but I also found Natracare Organic Cotton Wipes these were cheaper at £1.90 for 12 wipes.  

I was not as impressed by these wipes.  For starters the fragrance was a little strange which was off putting.  I also found in comparison to Faith In Nature the wipes were not as moist and I realised I prefer a more "wet" wipe.  The size was average so smaller in comparison to the Faith In Nature wipes.  However they were easier to remove from the packet.

When comparing these two brands Faith In Nature was my preferred choice.  However, when comparing to high street brands I am not sold on these chemical free versions.  Don't get me wrong they win hands down on being chemical free but on factors such as moistness, fragrance, packaging and shelf life they lose.  I think my quest for a natural alternative feminine wipe continues.

Faith In Nature also have a SLS, paraben free and vegan approved feminine wash, whereas,  Natracare specialises in organic cotton pads and tampons.  

Giveaway with a difference + Winner results

I want to do a giveaway with a difference in order to thank those of you who are already following my blog.  

Lets start with the prize which is pictured below.  A Mandara Spa gift set which contains 50ml of Shower Cream & 50ml of Body Butter in the fragrance Honeymilk Dream.  These products do not contain SLS, SLES, Parabens, Mineral Oils or DEA.

I have decided to do a Lucky Dip Draw.  I get fed up with other Giveaways which are only intended to generate follower numbers or have you signing up for every social network the blogger belongs to.

The next dilemma was do I put 94 followers in the draw or do I narrow it down to those of you who are active on my blog i.e. you leave comments?  I have opted for the latter.  So what I have done is entered the names that have commented on my blog during this month.

1	Laura
2	Diane
3	Christina
4	elegant daily
5	vintage makeup
6	chef in training
7	mona
8	su
9	michelle
10	jade
11	oomph
12	staci
13	gracie
14	thrify ninja
15	debbie
16	cocoa butter

 

Next step was to draw a name from the electronic hat (aka Random.Org)

So this makes the winner.....

Gracie 

If she does not fancy the prize I will do the draw again!

Thanks everyone for following and a special shout out to Vintage Makeup & Su as they are regulars on my blog, sorry luck was not on your side this evening!

p.s I purchased the prize with my own money 

Do you have sensitive skin? Try Pai

Have you heard of Pai Organic Skin Care?  It is a chemical free skin care brand that is also tailored to sensitive and allergy prone skin, now that just sounds perfect for me!  I ordered the sample/trial pack which is FREE and you just have to pay £3.50 postage.

The products come in 4ml sizes pots and includes x2 Trial Size Moisturisers (choose from a selection of four) & x1 Trial Size Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser.  Each 4ml sample last 2-3 days.

Even though the samples are small there is still enough to get an idea of the products performance.  The fact that they have impressed me in 3 days speaks volumes.  Both the cleanser and moisturiser have a rich texture and a little goes a long way.  My skin feels hydrated and nourished.  The fragrances are pleasant and gentle.

Pai Organic skin care is one of the more expensive chemical free brands.  The 100ml cleanser costs £25 and the moisturisers (30ml) £19 - £26.  Sarah Brown (the founder) has a blog if you are interested in following click here.

Moaning Myrtle

I needed somewhere to vent my frustrations so stick with me folks.  It is not a beauty product moan but it is related to my allergies.

Let me set the scene.  When I am travelling I love nothing more than browsing the local supermarkets and discovering new foods.  My holiday memories always connect back to food.  I remember the first time I visited the USA my friend and I headed straight to a grocery store and purchase every snack we had ever heard of in a movie or TV show.  Don’t even get me started on Australia I spent a year there and came home with a backpack full of newly discovered treats. 

So the point to all this is whilst in Amsterdam I discovered Alpro Macchiato Soya drink.  

Alpro is a brand available in the UK but this particular flavour does not exist here.   Have you seen all the flavoured cows milk?  Little old me with her milk allergy gets a choice of Chocolate or Strawberry.  Now perhaps I should be grateful for this after all when I was a child flavoured soya milk was non existent, but as an adult I have been treated to these choices and now I know the possibilities are there I want more choice.

So what’s the point of my rant you ask?  Well, I wrote to Alpro and told them I was now addicted to Macchiato why can I not purchase it in the UK .  The reply was 

"The Soya Macchiato was introduced to all buyers of the major multiples, unfortunately it was not regarded as a saleable product to the UK market so is not currently available. Please rest assured that we will continue to try to introduce this product, as UK tastes are continually changing and may well be something which will be accepted in the future."

It annoys me how everyone assumes British tastes buds are bland and boring.  What I do not understand about this explanation is the UK is being taken over by Starbucks and Costa Coffee so why on earth would Macchiato not be saleable?   

Also it frustrates me that the big supermarkets dictate what we can buy.  Since Free From foods are a niche market they take up valuable shelf space from "normal" foods.  This is not the first time I have been told supermarkets will not expand the range of a certain Free From brand.  They chose what they think will be popular and we are none the wiser that a brand has more to offer.

So next time you are at the Supermarket think of me.  After 25 years it has got a little bit easier to cope with my allergies but it still has its moments of frustration.

Mad for Madara

Madara Eco Cosmetics is a brand I know and love.  I recently won (via Twitter) the new travel/trial kit which was perfect timing for my trip to Amsterdam.  For those of you that have not heard of Madara it is a natural and organic skin care and make up brand which originates from Latvia.  You will not find any chemical nasties in this product range.

The kit retails for £6.95 and contains 5 items - delicate cleansing milk 25ml, deep balance toner 5ml x 2, deep moisture fluid 5ml, regenerating night cream 5ml, eye repair cream 3ml.

It is the perfect way to try these products or if you are already a fan then it saves you the hassle of de-canting your larger sizes.  I do not have a bad thing to say about this brand.  Also, I can recommend for sensitive skins as I have had no problems with irritation.  My favourite product from this collection is the cleanser not only does it perform well but the smell reminds me of marzipan, which I adore. 

Has anyone else tried Madara? What did you think?

Feed your skin with Suti - Part 2

Hopefully you have all read my review of Suti Fabulous Foot Balm if you haven’t then click here.

This review is for the Suti Cleanse Organic Balm Facial Cleanser.  I held off blogging about this one because I always feel a cleanser needs a good 3 or 4 weeks of testing before you make up your mind whether it works for you.

This cleanser is a luxurious balm containing avocado, sunflower, apricot kernel oil, shea butter and calendula.  It has a gentle fragrance with a hint of citrus.  What I like about this product is the way it which you cleanse, it feels very relaxing and soothing.  Firstly you massage a small amount into the skin.  The balm instantly turns into oil on contact.  The second step is placing a wet (using hand hot water) muslin cloth over your face and leave for a few seconds.  Finally use the muslin cloth to remove the cleanser. 

I love the way my skin feels after using this product.  It is soft, nourished, pampered and moisturised.  It is suitable for my sensitive skin with no irritations or eczema break out.  Personally, I preferred using this in the evenings.  Why you ask, well in the mornings I need a pick me up to get me motivated and moving.  I found the routine with this cleanser so relaxing that it worked better for me at the end of the day to put me in the mood for sleep.  Plus it does an excellent job at removing make up, my muslin cloth looks very grubby.

Suti market this cleanser as suitable for all skin types and I wanted to put this to the test.  The way I did this was to ask my sister to give the cleanser a try as we have different skin types.  Here is what Ickle Sugarpuffish had to say.

“I have been using Suti cleanser for over a week.  When I first opened the pot, my senses were awoken by a lovely citrus smell.   I found that the cleanser was oily and so you only need a small amount.   Some products leave my skin tight but this left my skin soft.  My cheeks were pink and my whole face glowed.  I actually did not need to use a great deal of face cream as the cleanser had adequate oil in.  I felt that it was a little too oily to use every day.  I actually think it’s great for a weekly ‘me’ time in the bath facial treatment.  I loved using a hot muslin cloth and placing it over my face for about a minute whilst in the bath.  It was lovely, warming and relaxing.  Overall I think this is a great product, it is a luxury facial spa in an affordable pot." As you can see we ended up coming to the same conclusion about the cleanser. Suti cleanser costs £26 for 50ml jar click here to purchase direct from Suti website.

Disclaimer – I was sent this product free of charge, all opinions are my own and I am not being paid to do this review or to promote the website/product.

Eau de Sugarpuffish

I rarely wear perfume because I find it can irritate my skin.  Perfumes are full of chemicals like benzene, benzyl alcohol, limonene, acetone and ethanol so it is no surprise that my skin hates me when I use them.  For several months I have been trying to find a natural alternative.  The trouble is everything I have found is sold online and I want to be able to smell a fragrance before parting with my cash.

Last month I spotted a post on My Perfume Diaries which caught my attention (Article Link).  I discovered that Su made her own perfumes so I got in touch.  After a few emails and with Su’s help I opted to purchase Cherry Sorbet.  I have been wearing it for a couple of days and I adore the fragrance.  Su’s describes it as “fresh, slightly fruity, somewhat like a cherry blossom scent”.  Today everyone that came in my office kept asking me what my new fragrance was and how much they liked it.  I am the only women working for the company so I was impressed the men were even noticing.  Not only is the fragrance a winner but Su made me a special blend using almond oil in order to reduce the chance of irritation and so far it’s working.  Definitely check out Su's blog and ask her about her perfumes.

If anyone has chemical free perfume recommendations then I would be interested to hear them. 

Picture - Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Cheese, Clogs , Tulips and Windmills

Guess where I spent my weekend?  Amsterdam.  I have been to several European cities but Amsterdam definitely takes my number one spot for places to visit.  Despite the continuous rain my BF and I had a lovely time exploring the city. 

We stayed at Hotel Casa 400 which was out of town but within easy reach of Amsterdam Amstel Station with connections to Trams, Metro and Trains – perfect for getting to and from the airport as well as into the city centre.  I recommend our Hotel it was modern and clean with friendly staff and good value for money.

We spent 3 days exploring the city on foot or by public transport.  We enjoyed a canal boat trip, visited the Van Gogh Museum and my favourite place was The Handbag and Purses Museum.

There was an extensive choice of cafes/restaurants but my favourite place to eat was Bagels & Beans and Soen (Thai food).

We also stopped at Wok to Walk, Maoz Falafel and V&D La Place Restaurant.  The one bad thing I have to say about Amsterdam is Vegetarian food was relatively easy to find but a Vegan diet was harder to accommodate.  Unfortunately, the Dutch love their cheese so not good for someone like me who is allergic to milk. 

We did plenty of window shopping but my BF makes a lousy shopping buddy and gets a bit grumpy, typical man.  It would have been far better if I had the Girls with me.  I did stumble across a chain of stores called De Tuinen which caught my attention.  It was the place to go to if you wanted stock up on chemical free skin care.  I had a good browse but found mainly brands I already used or recognised.  The exchange rate meant prices were the same as at home so I did not bother to stock up.

Here are a few holiday snaps.  I was sad to leave Amsterdam but it was nice to come home to birthday presents and cards.

I will send you a postcard

I am taking a few days off from blogging because a) its my birthday this weekend 

b) my BF is taking me overseas to celebrate.  

I am not a gadget girl so can not blog on the go and I am not about to spend my romantic getaway in a cyber cafe,  sorry folks.  I will be back next week, keep an eye out for my Suti Cleanser review. 


Whilst I have your attention, I wanted to mention that I was recently approached by Lush Duck who asked if I would give their website a mention.  I am happy to give some blog space because I like to support UK companies especially those selling chemical free products.  Lush Duck (Click Here) is a new website  and they sell some of my favourite brands - Organic Surge, Lavera, Barefoot Botanicals, Burt Bees, Skin Blossom, Akin.  Definitely check them out.  You can also link up with Lush Duck via Twitter and Facebook.  

Disclaimer – I am not being paid to do this review or to promote the website/product.

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Feed your skin with Suti

Let me introduce you to Suti a luxurious holistic skincare range.  Suti products are organic, chemical free and not tested on animals so when they offered me the chance to review some products I jumped at it.

I would like to share with you the company background as I found it rather interesting.  Suti is relatively new, founded in 2010 by Suzannah Jenkins and Tina Steadman.  Their collaboration came from a mutual desire to use natural products.  Suzannah is a qualified homeopath, aromatherapist and complementary medicine practitioner.  She set up a practise from home and created tailored products for clients following on from that Suti skincare was born.  There are seven products in the range Rejuvenate Face Oil, Nourish Face Oil (for night), Facial Cleanser, Rose Water Toner, Peppermint Water Toner, Purity Moisturising Balm and Fabulous Foot Balm. 

As I mentioned Suti very kindly agreed to send me a couple of products.  I requested that I was interested in the foot balm and cleanser.  In this post I will review the foot balm as I wish to do a separate review for the cleanser.  

I am not ashamed to admit that I pamper the rest of my body with lotions but neglect my tooties.   I generally am not a fan of my feet I suffer from extremely dry skin.  When I read the product description I realised my feet were crying out for this product.

“A luxuriously rich and nourishing foot balm especially blended to rehydrate and revive chapped, tired and aching feet. Fabulous Foot Balm* is especially formulated to melt straight into tough, leathered skin and brittle nails to deliver soothing, intensive nourishment exactly where it’s needed.”

The balm is very luxurious and melts into oil with the warmth of your skin.  I am not a fan of overpowering peppermint foot creams, however, this has a gentle hint of peppermint combined with rosemary, it is very pleasant.  This balm contains some other fabulous ingredients like olive oil, avocado, carrot, calendula and pumpkin seed.  I prefer to use a foot cream just before I go to bed.  I tend not to remember to apply every night but I aim for at least every other day.  With this product a little goes a long way, you do not need much I have been using a 5p/10p size of the balm.  I am really impressed with the results gradually over the past two/three weeks the condition of my skin has improved.  My cracked heels are looking smooth and nourished.  When applying a foot cream I am always conscious of irritation on my hands but I have not have any problems with this product.

I highly recommend Suti skincare as they are very luxurious and feel like a spa treatment.  I have tried many foot creams but this one is now a top favourite for banishing my cracked heels. 

Suti foot balm retails for £16 for 50ml jar and can be purchased from www.suti.co.uk

Disclaimer – I was sent this product free of charge, all opinions are my own and I am not being paid to do this review or to promote the website/product.

Quash those germs

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend?  I would also like to welcome my new followers as I have had a few more join my blog over the weekend.

I went shopping on Sunday and found a bargain.  This bag was in the sale at Primark (or Primarni as I like to call it) and was reduced to £3.  I thought it would come in handy for an upcoming trip I have planned. 

Talking of trips that leads me onto my next product review.  I always carry a hand sanitiser when I am travelling.  Pardon the pun but they are handy when on planes, trains and automobiles.  I have to be careful of soaps in public loos because of my allergies but at least this way I can be germ free.  The trouble with most sanitiser brands is they are full of chemicals and alcohol which irritates my eczema.  However, there are chemical free sanitisers on the market and my favourite is Quash

Quash is 100% natural, alcohol free and made in the UK.  The magic ingredients are manuka honey, vitamin C, white willow bark, aloe vera, zinc, radish root, white tea, lavender & lime oils.  This sanitiser is a liquid in a spray bottle which gives you a fine mist.  The smell is fresh and pleasant.  It sinks into skin and dries quickly.  I also find it very moisturising. Quash is available to buy direct from their website or from supermarkets/high street stores (stockist list available at website).  There are two size options 15ml (£1.99) or 50ml (£3.49).

Other natural hand sanitisers to look out for are Green People, Bentley Organics, No Germs and Frais.

Drum roll please......

The winner of my Doy Bag Giveaway is...

About A Mom

Congratulations, please look out for my email

Commiserations & thank you to the other 3 entrants for joining in with my Giveaway

Winner Picture http://shabbyblogs.com/?page_id=388

Don't forget.....

My giveaway is ending this Sunday so click here to enter.  So far no one has entered which makes me very sad. 

Is a giveaway really important to readers/followers?  

The secret to beautiful hair

These days everyone seems to be talking about hair oils as the must have product to keeping your hair in tip top condition.  I have not tried the brand everyone is talking about because I have been using Pureology Super Smooth Elixr.

A little goes a long way I put a couple of drop of the oil in the palm of my hands and work it through damp hair then style as normal.  I adore the fragrance as it has the floral scent of geranium. This product tames the flyaways and leaves my hair silky smooth.  It also protects my colour and over time improves the condition of my hair.  

As I mention in my other post, The Pureology range has been designed for colour treated hair, is sulphate free and 100% Vegan.  You can purchase Pureology at a variety of websites including LookFantastic.com (£14.85).  

Bad hair day

As you are now aware I am a strong believer that chemicals in beauty products are the route of all evil when it comes to my skin and eczema.  I have a confession to make......none of my current hair care products are chemical free.  

I have tried brands such as A'kin, Lavera, MOP, Aveda, Organix and Matrix Delicate Care.  They all have pros and cons but none of them have me repeat purchasing.  For me the main problem with SLS free shampoo and conditioner has been poor performance.  My hair seems to rebel against my good efforts and becomes lank and greasy or extremely dry.  Before you shout at me, I have used them for long periods of time as I know the old chemicals need to leave your hair before you see the results from an SLS free product.

A friend recently gave me the Pureology Supersmooth range to try.  Pureology is sulfate free, 100% vegan and 100% organic botanicals.  Wow this stuff is amazing.  It leaves my hair smooth and silky and my hairdresser even commented on how great it looked.  It smells fabulous and does not irritate my scalp or neck.   The downside for me is the price, my budget does not allow for me to spend £30 on shampoo & conditioner.  So for the time being I will continue using salon brands until I can find a range of natural shampoo and conditioners within my budget.  


Does anyone have a recommendation? I would be interested to hear your thoughts on chemical free hair care.

images - http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/